# Mr. Robot on USA network **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135 "2015-07-14T13:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/1 "2015-07-14T13:26:32Z")
Anybody else watching? It’s a new suspense series on USA starring Rami Malek, probably best known to date for his role as Pharaoh Akmenrah in the _Night at the Museum_ movies. Malek’s character is an introverted cyber security technician by day, and a vigilante hacker by night. He is recruited by an anarchist group lead by Christian Slater as Mr. Robot. I’ve only watched the first episode, but it seems very promising, and Malek is very good in this role. Series has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/2 "2015-07-14T13:59:08Z")
I’ve been watching it. They’ve broadcast a couple more episodes than you’ve seen, so I don’t want to say too much more in case I spoil anything for you. I watch most of the shows on USA and most of them are stupid (e.g., Suits, Royal Pains, etc). So far this is not _that_ stupid. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/3 "2015-07-14T15:05:50Z")
Elliot Alderson (the lead character) is a terrorist, blackmailer, dognapper, and an emotional basket case. When he’s not hearing voices in his head, he stares at people. The show itself, _Mr Robot_, seems to be a homage to V for Vendetta masks and OWS scum. IMHO, of course. On the plus side, the show can only get better ('cause it couldn’t get any worse). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/4 "2015-07-14T15:12:49Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Anybody else watching? > > It’s a new suspense series on USA starring Rami Malek, probably best known to date for his role as Pharaoh Akmenrah in the _Night at the Museum_ movies. > > Malek’s character is an introverted cyber security technician by day, and a vigilante hacker by night. He is recruited by an anarchist group lead by Christian Slater as Mr. Robot. > > I’ve only watched the first episode, but it seems very promising, and Malek is very good in this role. > > Series has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I love it. I watched the first three episodes this weekend, and I can’t wait to watch more. I was skeptical of all the hype, but it’s worth it. It seems different than the usual USA show, it’s darker and not a procedural. It’s apparently fairly accurate with the hacking stuff from what I’ve read online. Not perfect, but in the ballpark, and miles better than hacking on most TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/5 "2015-07-14T15:43:12Z")
I’ve liked it so far–I’m up to Episode 3–but now I don’t know. It’s turning into something dark and depressing, and there’s enough dark and depressing to go around without that. I’ll probably check out Episode 4 but I’m not sure I’ll keep on watching. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/6 "2015-07-14T15:52:02Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Elliot Alderson (the lead character) is a terrorist, blackmailer, dognapper, and an emotional basket case. You left off drug addict. And, depending on how you interpret certain interactions, possibly schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/7 "2015-07-14T16:26:40Z")
It’s alright. The leads good, and the realisticish hacking stuff is fun. The Mr Robot character is the weakest part of the show though. Since they seem to be telegraphing a fairly obvious twist with that character anyways, I wish they’d get it over with soon so that maybe they can develop him into something less annoying / non-sensical. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/8 "2015-07-14T17:40:24Z")
The hacking stuff is more accurate than most TV shows. The drug stuff is somewhat accurate - at least better than Nurse Jackie where she : 1. Spells “Oxycodone” wrong (or maybe it was “OxyContin” - which would be even worse as no addict would prefer OxyContin over Oxycodone) 2. Calls in a fake script for said drug - which wouldn’t work as you need a physical script for all schedule II drugs unless you are in the small minority of places that have a special dual authenticated computer system which isn’t what they were portraying. 3. She “overhears” a doc using their DEA number - which she wouldn’t need to do if she worked at the hospital - it’s not a password and most doctors write it on every script. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/9 "2015-07-14T18:16:12Z")
I like it. It’s got a dark antihero who isn’t a good guy. The story line is one continuous arc. It’s just - better. It feels a lot more realistic, even if it does have elements that aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/10 "2015-07-14T18:27:18Z")
Getting a strong Fight Club vibe. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/11 "2015-07-14T18:48:16Z")
Did anyone else think “Enron” when seeing that logo? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/12 "2015-07-14T18:55:59Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > Did anyone else think “Enron” when seeing that logo? Yea, its definatley modelled after the Enron logo. I imagine they figure Enron’s dead enough that they don’t have to worry about a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/13 "2015-07-14T19:00:51Z")
It’s also very similar to the “E” in the Dell logo - almost exactly the same, actually. I just checked (I have a Dell monitor so the logo is right in my field of view. The “E” on the Dell logo is tilted over slightly more) Apparently, in the universe of Mr. Robot, evilcorp is Google, Apple, Dell, and Bank of America all rolled up into one giant unstoppable conglomerate. If all of those companies were one monopolistic behemoth in our world, I think it would end up being pretty evil as well… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/14 "2015-07-14T23:53:28Z")
Just finishing the first episode and to me it looks like _Dexter Does DOS_. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/15 "2015-07-15T00:19:53Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Just finishing the first episode and to me it looks like _Dexter Does DOS_. Is that a good or a bad thing? Dexter was fantastic for several earlier seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/16 "2015-07-15T01:52:28Z")
Well, I watched the first three episodes now and: I’m starting to get the empty feeling that the Slater character will turn out to be imaginary. I watched for any time he interacted with a third character, and the only time I can find was a scene where the female hacker was talking to him, though it’s ambiguous since Eliot was standing directly behind him, and thus from her perspective she might have been talking to Eliot. The appletini bit in the bar is a strong indicator, I feel. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/17 "2015-07-15T14:43:38Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I watched the first three episodes now and: > > I’m starting to get the empty feeling that the Slater character will turn out to be imaginary. I watched for any time he interacted with a third character, and the only time I can find was a scene where the female hacker was talking to him, though it’s ambiguous since Eliot was standing directly behind him, and thus from her perspective she might have been talking to Eliot. The appletini bit in the bar is a strong indicator, I feel. > [@DigitalC](#): > > Getting a strong Fight Club vibe. Hmmmmm! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/18 "2015-07-15T15:17:18Z")
Yes, I cheerfully acknowledge that DigitalC made the point before me, and indeed there was an entire season of _Dexter_ with a similar angle, and now that I’m alert to it and watching for it, it’ll actually be slightly surprising if the idea turns out to be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/19 "2015-07-15T15:21:42Z")
Yeah the scene with Mr Robot in the Allsafe office pretty much confirmed that for me. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135/20 "2015-07-15T17:15:35Z")
For me it was when Mr Robot started giving orders to the rest of Fsociety and he stood in the same place Eliott had been standing a second before while Eliott faded into the background. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-robot-on-usa-network/725135.md?page=2)